Inner boxcar door



Jan. 13, 1953 c. L. BROWN INNER -BOXCAR DOOR 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb.23, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 13, 1953 c. 1.. BROWN INNER BOXCAR DOORFiled Feb. 25, 1951 [any 1. Brown. M? I wk R R N\ m 3 NM C. L- BROWNINNER BOXCAR DOOR Jan. 13, 1953 Filed Feb. 23 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 5(Ittomegs Patented Jan. 13, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE INNERBOXCAR DOOR Corry L. Brown, Kansas City, Mo. Application February 23,1951, Serial No. 212,389

11 Claims.

This invention relates to inner closures for box car doors to permitloading of a box car with bulk material such as grain or othercommodities such as sack flour which must be kept out of contact withthe sliding outer door to permit movement of the outer door withouttearing of the sacks.

The principal objects of the invention are to provide an inner door forrailway box cars that is of simple construction and which becomes apermanent part of the box car; to provide an inner door that eifectivelycloses the door opening to prevent leaking of grain through the dooropening; to provide an inner door structure which cooperates with theinner walls of the box car to form a substantially smooth interiorsurface; to provide a permanently attached inner door that does notinterfere with operation of the sliding outer door or interfere with useof the car for purposes that do not require an inner door; and toprovide an inner door structure that is securely locked in closedposition and cannot become disengaged under shocks resulting frombraking or bumping the car incidental to switching or train operation.

Other objects of the invention are to provide an inner door structurehaving substantially the same height as the open doorway except for aninspection and loading opening; to provide an inner door structure whichin itself securely retains and supports the contents of a car andthereby permits the use of a lighter outer door structure; and toprovide an inner door that is readily operated by one man.

- It is also an object of the invention to provide an inner doorstructure which permits entrance and exit of air into and out of the carto prevent condensation by maintaining substantially uniform inner andouter temperatures.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention as hereinafterpointed out, I have provided improved inner door structure, thepreferred form of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawingswherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a box car equipped withinner doors constructed in accordance with the present invention andshowing the outer door in open position to better illustrate the innerdoor sections, one of which is illustrated in closed position and theother bein moved from its storage position into closed position.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the side wall of the car showingthe inner door in closed position, the section being taken on the line2--2 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the box car, showing the outer doorin open position and the inner door sections in closed and latchedposition, a portion of the side Wall of the car being broken away tobetter illustrate mounting links for the inner door sections.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view from the interior of the car and showingone of the door sections in closed position and the other in retractedor stored position.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section through the side of the car on the line 6-6of Fig. 5, particularly illustrating the pocket in which the doorsection is enclosed when in retracted position.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

I designates a standard railway box car having a side wall 2 providedwith a door opening 3 and which is normally closed by a sliding door 4movable on upper and lower rails 5 and 6 that are attached to the sideof the box car. The door 4 and rails 5 and 6 may be of standardconstruction in that they specifically form no part of the presentinvention. However, because of the present invention, the door may be oflighter weight and constructed of lighter materials.

When a box car of this character is used for holding bulk commoditiessuch as grain it is necessary to equip the car with an inner closurewhich usually consists of transverse boards nailed to the inner side ofthe door frame and which are lined with paper to cover any knots orcracks between the boards. Such inner closures are also necessary wherethe car is loaded with commodities such as sacks of flour that must bekept out of contact with or lodgement against the sliding outer door 4which would prevent sliding opening of the door or result in damage tothe goods when the outer door is open. Application and removal of theboards often results in damaging of the door posts of the car to whichthe boards are nailed. Such inner doors are also of short life becauseof splintering and splitting of the boards from which they areconstructed.

The present invention overcomes these difficulties by providinginnerdoors of sufiiciently simple and inexpensive construction so that eachbox car may be provided with a permanently attached inner door thatbecomes a part of the car and is housed in an out-of-way position whennot required.

In carrying out the present invention, the inner side I of the car wall2 is provided at the respective sides of the door opening with shields 38 and 9, each including a substantially rectangular panel II] that isspaced from the inner side 1 and extends from the car floor I l to apoint above the head jamb l2 of the door for providing a pocket [3therebetween. The lower edge M of each panel closely engages the floorll so as to prevent leakage of grain and similar bulk materialthereunder into the pockets I3. The upper edges [5 of the panel sectionsterminate in laterally extending webs lfi forming closures for the upperends of the pockets and which have flanges IT for attaching the panelsto the inner face of the side wall by fastening devices such as screwsor the like I 8. The rearmost edge l9 of 'each panel with respect to thedoor opening carries a sloping wing that closes that side of each pocketand which is secured to the innerface of the side wall of the car byflanges 2| similar to the flanges 11. The web I6 preferably terminatesshort of the wings 20 so as to provide openings 22 that cooperate withopenings 23 in the floor of the car to provide vertical ventilationthrough 'the pockets for a purpose later described. .The

wings 20, sloping to the inner face of the car wall,

provide smooth innersurfaces so as 'to prevent damage to commoditiessuch as'sacks of flour and the like that may be stacked against the sidewalls of the car and panel Ill. The edges '26, which are disposed at thesides of the door opening, are unattached and substantially registerwith the inner faces of the side jambs ordoor posts 25. The edges 24have retractivelyturned flanges 26 that are spaced from the inner faceof the panels to provide vertical grooves 21 there- 'between. Thepanels, being of metal, may have the outer faces covered with'an'insulating material 28 such as plywood or thelike'to betterrconform'withthe character of the inner 'faceJof the side Walls of the car.

The inner door 29 or closure comprises a *pair of abutting door sections30 and 3| having'a combined width suflicient to cover the width of the'door openings between the doorposts 25. 'door sections are of a heightto extend from the floor to a point above the lower edge of the head Thejamb I 2 and are adapted to be stored when not in use within therespective pockets 13. The door sections may be formed of sheet metal orother 'suitable material and have hook-like flanges 32 extendingvertically of the outer side edges there- 'of and which are adapted tointer-engage the flanges 26 when the door sections are in positionto'close the door opening as best shown in Fig, 4, the flanges 32being'spaced from the inner face of the door sections to providevertical grooves 33 for receiving the flanges 26 when the hook-likeflanges 32 are engaged in the grooves 2'! of the panels I 0 so as toprovide tight joints therebetween. The forward edge of one of the doorsections, for example the door section 36, is provided with a relativelythick vertical style 34 to accommodate a vertical groove 35 in the edge'thereof for receiving the abutting edge 36 of the other door section 3iwhen the doors are in closed position.

When the door sections are closed, the lower edges '3'! thereof seatwithin a groove 38 that is formed by inner and outer sill plates'39anddo that are attached to the top of the car door sill 4| 'as bestshown in Figs. 2 and 4. Thus, the

lower edges of the door sections are retained in stable position againstshifting weight of the load and provide seals to prevent grain andsimilar 'bulk materials from leaking into the space 42 that "is providedbetween the inner and outer doors. The outer sill plate is co-extensivewith the door opening. However, the inner sill plate has extensions 43at the ends thereof which overlap the lower end edges of the panels, asbest shown in Fig. 5. The adjacent edges of the sill plates have notchesat substantially the midpoints thereof, as indicated at 44 and 44', toaccommodate the style of the door section 30 therein when the doors arein closed position. The upper corners at the abutting edges of the doorsections are provided with notches '45 and 45 to form an inspection orfill opening 4'! when the doors are closed. The upper edge of each doorsection is also provided with a hook-like flange 48 that is adapted toengage a similar hook-like flange '49 one plate 50 that is attached tothe inner face of .the car wall above the head jamb of the door openingas best shown in Fig. 5 and which cooperates with extensions 5| of thepanels to form ways 52 in which the upper ends of the doorisections aresupported when'in closed position. The aextensions include dependingflan e portions 53 registering withthe under-face of the door'jamb'andhave web portions 54 that terminate in attaching flanges 55 similar tothe atand 3.

The upper ends of the links are similarly pivoted to the doorsections onstuds 5221s best shown in Fig. 3. It isthus obvious that'the doorsections 'areheld invertical position and are adapted to :swing in avertical plane out of and into'the pocketswh'en'moving to and fromclosing relation with the dooropening.

Since space must be provided for swinging of the links, grain andsimilar commodities may tend to lodge on the sill and flow into thespace between the sidewall of the car and the doors. This isprevented byproviding the inner-most of the lower links with guards 63 that have ayoke-shaped end 64 straddling the respective links and have eyes 65mounted on pivot pins 06 .that are carried by the links. The guards areof sufficient width and length to close the space betweenithe side walland the door sections and to depend into contact with the floor of thecar. The guards also have offsets G1 to accommodate the pivotalconnection for the forwardly'positioned links when the sections areclosed. When. the door sections are closed, the guards are locked inposition between the foremost links and lugs 68 that project from thelower outer corners of the door sections.

The door sections are substantially balanced by coil springs E9 havingone end connected with studs Til projecting from the outer sides of thedoors and their opposite ends connected with studs ll that projectinwardly from the side wall The outer sides of the door sections may beprovided with lugs TI to form handles by which thedoors may be pushedinto the pockets or withdrawn therefrom. The doors may also be providedwith lugs '58 by which they may be raised to start the pivotal movementthereof as when opening the door to discharge grain or other bulkcommodities. The lower ends of the door may be clamped together by alatch lever is that is pivotally mounted on a pin 89 carried by the doorsection an and which latch lever has a laterally extending pin 8!adapted to engage over a cam lug 82 on the other door section 3!. It isobvious that the lever 19 and the cam lug 82 operate to draw the doorstightly together. assist in holding the doors in closed position, thelever '19 may be provided with a detent portion 2-3 that engages in arecess 84 formed in the adjacent sill plate and door sill of the car, asbest shown in Fig. 3. The lever may be locked in latched position by akeeper 85 that is pivotally mounted on a pin 85 carried by the doorsection M, the keeper having a recess 87 adapted to receive the end ofthe latch lever when the keeper is in position shown in Fig. 3.

In operating the door constructed and assembled as described andassuming that the door sections are in retracted position the operatorengages the lugs TI and pulls on the door sections to cause swingingmovement thereof in an upward direction toward the door opening. As thelinks move past their dead center position, the door sections begin toswing forwardly and downwardly to seat the lower edges thereof intoengagement with the groove between the sill plates. After both doorsections are in closed position, they are secured together by the latch12 and clamping lever 19. When the door sections are closed, the hookflanges on the side and upper edges inter-engage the corresponding hookflanges that are rigidly carried by the pocket panels so that with thesill and style grooves a grain tight seal is provided about the entiremargins thereof. The car may then be filled with grain by inserting thefill spout (not shown) into the opening d1. After the car is filled, theouter door may be closed and sealed as in conventional manner. Thecontents of the car may be readily inspected by opening the outer doorto give access to the contents through the opening 41.

During shipment the interior of the car is kept at substantially thesame temperature as the external temperature by air circulation throughthe vent openings in the bottoms of the door pockets, openings at thefront edges of the pockets 13, space between the inner and outer doorsand through the fill openings into the car. Cross ventilation is alsoprovided in like manner from the vent openings at one side of the car tothe other side. The vent openings also provide for discharge of materialthat might pass into the door pockets.

When the car is to be unloaded the keeper 85 is released and theclamping lever 19 swung to retracted position. The catch lever '52 isalso released and a lifting force is applied to the lugs 18 to liftfirst one door section and then the other to cause the sections to moveinto retracted position within the pockets. As the doors lift, grain inthe car begins to spill under the lower edges thereof as the edges ofthe door sections clear the sill plates. Grain is prevented from flowinginto the space between the side wall of the car and the door sections bythe pivoted guards 15. As the pressure of the grain is released, thedoors are To further easily swung into retracted position with aid ofthe coil springs 69. When the car is loaded with sacks of flour orpackaged goods, the inner door sections are shifted into the doorpockets and the sacks of flour are trucked through the open door andstacked in desired manner. When the car is filled, the inner doorsections are closed as above described to protect the load from contactwith the exterior doors and to permit free closing and opening thereof.

From the foregoing it is obvious that I have provided a simple innerdoor construction for box cars and the like which is easily installedand which forms a permanent part of the car. It is also obvious that theinner door sections form a positive seal around the peripheral edgesthereof to prevent leaking out of bulk materials such as grain and toassure that the door sections remain in tight clamped-together positionwhen they close the car door opening. It is also obvious that when thedoors are retracted into pockets they are completely out of the way sothat the car equipped therewith may be used for any purpose where innerdoors are not required.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a box car having a side wall provided with a door opening, aninner door closing said opening at the inner side of said wall includinga pair of door sections adapted to cover the opening on the inner sideof said wall, links having pivotal connection with the door sections andthe inner side of said wall for supporting the sections for movement ina vertical plane parallel with the inner face of said wall from saidposition closing the opening to retracted positions at sides of the dooropening, shields having portions spaced from the inner side of said walland provided with flange portions coextensive with upper edges oppositefrom the door opening to form pockets to receive the door sectionstherein when the door sections are in open position, said door sectionsbeing spaced from the inner side of said wall to accommodate movement ofthe links, and means closing said space below the lowermost of saidlinks.

2. In a box car having a side wall provided with a door opening, aninner door closing said opening at the inner side of said wall includinga pair of door sections adapted to cover the opening on the inner sideof said wall, links having pivotal connection with the door sections andthe inner side of said wall for supporting the. sec-. tionsfor movementin a vertical plane parallel with the inner face of said wall from saidposition closing the opening to retracted positions at sides of the dooropening, pocket forming means at sides of the door opening to house saiddoor sections, and guards pivotally suspended from a link at each sideof the door opening and extending to the lower portion of the dooropening to close entrance to the lower portion of the space in which thelinks operate in said pocket forming means.

3. In a box car having a side wall provided with a door opening, aninner door closing said opening at the inner side of said wall includinga pair of door sections adapted to cover the opening; links havingpivotal connection with the door sections and with the inner side ofsaid wall for supporting the sections for movement in a vertical planeparallel with the inner face of said wall from said position closing theopening to retracted position at sides of the door opening, shieldsspaced from the inner side of said wall at the l respective sides of thedoor opening and coextensive with the height of the door and formingpockets having entrances registering with side edges of the doorsections for passing the door sections into said pockets, hook likeflanges on said shields in substantial registry with sides of the dooropening and facing inwardly of said pockets, and complementary flangesstanding along sides of the door sections in facing relation with theflanges on said shields for forming seals between the door sections andshields when the door sections are in closed position.

4. In a box car having a side wall provided with a door opening, aninner door closing said opening at the inner side of said wall includinga pair of door sections adapted to cover the opening, links havingpivotal connection with the door sections and with the inner side ofsaid wall for supporting the sections for movement in a vertical planeparallel with the inner face of said well from said position closing theopening to retracted position at sides of the door opening, shieldsspaced from the inner side of said wall at the respective sides of thedoor opening and coextensive with the height of the door and formingpockets having entrances registering with side edges of the doorsections for passing the door sections into said pockets, hook likeflanges on said shields in substantial registry with sides of the dooropening and facing inwardly of said pockets, complementary flangesstanding along sides of the door sections in facing relation with theflanges on said shields for forming seals between the door sections andshields when the door sections are in closed position, downwardly facinghook line flanges extending along upper edges of the door sections, anda complementary hook like flange extending transversely across the upperportion of the door opening to engage the downwardly facing hook likeflanges and form a seal with the wall of the box car at the upperportions of the door sections.

5. In a box car having a side wall provided with a door opening, aninner door closing said opening at the inner side of said wall includinga pair of door sections adapted to cover the opening, links havingpivotal connection with the door sections and with the inner side ofsaid wall for supporting the sections for movement in a vertical planeparallel with the inner face of said wall from said position closing theopening to retracted position at sides of the door opening, shieldsspaced from the inner side of said wall at the respective sides of thedoor opening and coextensive with the height of the door and formingpockets having entrances registering with side edges of the doorsections for passing the door sections into said pockets, hook likeflanges on said shields in substantial registry with sides of the dooropening and facing inwardly of said pockets, complementary flangesstanding along sides of the door sections in facing relation with theflanges on said shields for forming seals between the door sections andshields when the door sections are in closed position, downwardly facinghook like flanges extending along upper edges of the door sections, anda complementary hook like flange extending transversely across the upperportion of the door opening to engage the downwardly facing hook likeflanges and form a seal with the wall of the box car at the upperportions of the door sections, the inner edge of one of said doorsections having a groove for receiving the corresponding edge of theother section and form a seal between said door sections.

6. In a box car having a side wall provided with a door opening, aninner door closing said opening at the inner side of said wall includinga pair of door sections adapted to cover the opening, links havingpivotal connection with the door sections and with the inner side ofsaid wall for supporting the sections for movement in a vertical planeparallel with the inner face of said wall from said position closing theopening to retracted position at sides of the door opening, shieldsspaced from the inner side of said wall at the respective sides of thedoor opening and coextensive with the height of the door and formingpockets having entrances registering with side edges of the doorsections for passing the door sections into said pockets, hook likeflanges on said shields in substantial registry with sides of the dooropening and facing inwardly of said pockets, complementary flangesstanding along sides of the door sections in facing relation with theflanges on said shields for forming seals between the door sections andshields when the door sections are in closed position, downwardly facinghook like flanges extending along upper edges of the door sections, acomplementary hook like flange extending transversely across the upperportion of the door opening to engage the downwardly facing hook likeflanges and form a seal with the wall of the box car at the upperportions of the door sections, the inner edge of one of said doorsections having a groove for receiving the corresponding edge of theother section and form a seal between said door sections, andinterengaging cam means on the respective door sections for securing thedoor sections together in maintaining said seals.

7. In a box car having a side wall provided with a door opening, asliding door closing said opening at the outer side of said wall, aninner door closing said opening at the inner side of said wall includinga pair of door sections adapted to cover the opening, links havingpivotal connection with the door and the inner side of said wall forsupporting the sections for movement in a vertical plane parallel withthe inner face of said wall from said position closing the opening toretracted positions at sides of the door opening, said inner and outerdoors being spaced apart to provide an air circulating space, and pocketforming means at sides of the door opening and cooperating with the sidewall to provide entrances for the doors to house said door sections andhaving connection with said air circulating space through saidentrances, said pockets having air vents in bottoms thereof and inconnection with said pockets, and the inner door sections having anopening connecting the interior of said circulating space with theinterior of the car to provide substantial equalization of temperaturebetween the interior and exterior of the box car.

8. In a box car having a side wall provided with a door opening, asliding outer door closing said opening at the outer side of said wall,an inner door closing said opening at the inner side of said wallincluding a pair of door sections adapted to cover the opening, linkshaving pivotal connection with the door sections and the inner side ofsaid wall for supporting the sections for movement in a vertical planeparallel with the inner face of said wall from said position closing theopening to retracted positions at sides of the door opening, said doorsections having an inspection opening, pocket forming means havingentrances at sides of the door opening for passing the door sectionsinto the pocket forming means when the door sections are moved toretracted position, said entrances having connection with space betweenthe inner and outer doors, and said car having vent openings in loottomsof said pockets for admitting air into said space for outlet into thecar through the inspection opening.

9. In a box car having a side wall provided with a door opening, aninner door closing said opening at the inner side of said wall includinga pair of door sections adapted tocover the opening, links havingpivotal connection with the door sections and the inner side of saidwall for supporting the sections for movement in a vertical planeparallel with the inner face of said wall from said position closing theopening to retracted positions at sides of the door opening, pocketforming means having entrances at sides of the door opening for passingthe door sections into the pocket forming means when the door sectionsare moved to retracted position. and

guards carried by said links for closing said entrances adjacent thelower portion of the door opening.

10. In a box car having a side wall provided with a door opening, aninner door closing said opening at the inner side of said wall includinga pair of door sections adapted to cover the opening, links havingpivotal connection with the door and the inner side of said wall forsupporting the sections for movement in a vertical plane parallel withthe inner face of said wall from said position closing the opening toretracted positions at sides of the door opening, pocket forming meanshaving entrances at sides of the door opening for passing the doorsections into the pocket forming means when the door sections are movedto retracted position, guards carried by selected links in closingrelation with said entrances adjacent the lower portion of the dooropening, means on the door sections engaging a part on said guards toretain the guards in said entrance closing position when the doorsections are closing the door opening, and hooklike flanges on sides ofsaid sections and the entrances of the pocket forming means and adaptedto inter-engage when the door sections are in closing position toprevent leakage between the pocket forming means and the door sections.

11. In a box car having a side wall provided with a door opening, aninner door closing said opening at the inner side of said wall includinga pair of door sections adapted to cover the opening, means forsupporting the door sections for movement in a vertical plane parallelwith the inner face of said wall from said position closing the openingto retracted positions at sides of the door opening, pocket formingmeans having entrances at sides of the door opening for passing the doorsections into the pocket forming means when the door sections are movedto retracted position, guards for closing said entrances adjacent thelower portion of the door opening, and means on the door sectionsengaging a part of said guards to retain the guards in said entranceclosing position when the door sections are closing the door opening.

COREY L. BROWN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 616,987 Steward Jan. 3, 1899720,124 Ferguson Feb. *10, 1903 908,045 Smith Dec. 29, 1908 1,927,967Welsh Sept. 26, 1933 1,963,415 Mattson June 19, 1934

